Every year since 1988, Kim Wiggins has had an August show in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That first year was an important milestone because it marked his move to Santa Fe, and the start of a career that would send Western art into exciting new directions. 
Wish Upon a Star, oil, 36 x 48"
Wiggins is returning to Santa Fe on August 6 for another annual show held at Manitou Galleries. The show is titled Paint What You Know, which is a reference to advice Wiggins was given by his father, the great author and journalist Walt Wiggins. “My father critiqued every painting I created until his passing in 1992. He passed away one week before my show opened that August,” Wiggins says. “He was born on Friday the 13th and died on Friday the 13th of August. I believe the title deals with my thoughts about knowing the place, spirit and heart of Santa Fe and the Southwest.”
Along the Chisholm Trail, oil, 30 x 40"
Paintings in the show will channel modernism as they offer colorful views of the Southwest, particularly places in New Mexico. Wiggins paints many of his works from a slightly elevated perspective, which can be seen in his rippling and dazzling nocturne Wish Upon a Star. The slightly aerial point of view came from his role as a visitor and outsider in places he was painting, everywhere from Santa Fe to New York City.
“The high perspective developed over time from early in my career. I think it started as I entered these cities to paint them and I felt like an outsider. From that elevated position, it allowed me to have some distance between me and the ground level. It never felt appropriate for me to paint the street view since I didn’t live in these places,” he says. “I liked that high angle though because it made me think of a person who has taken a snow globe off a shelf, shaken it up and then looked down into it. It’s a unique perspective from the bird’s-eye view.”
Coming Rain, oil, 11 x 14"
Other works in the show include Coming Rain, which shows an afternoon rainstorm, a common sight in Northern New Mexico, as it sweeps over a valley and distant mountains. Rains like these bring renewed color and sunlight, which is certainly seen in Wiggins’ paintings, which reverberate with color and shimmer in the light. 
Sunrise Along the Rio Grande, oil, 24 x 30"
“I love these views, and I love the people and cultures I’m painting. These places are magical because the people who live in them come from so may different backgrounds and bring life to these places,” he says. “I get to be passionate about my work because it flows through me onto the surface. I hope the paintings enrich the lives of others.” —
Upcoming Show
Up to 20 works
August 6-28, 2021
Manitou Galleries
123 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 986-0440, www.manitougalleries.com
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